


acceptance

by euphemea



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Future Fic, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tragedy, vaguely inspired by Her (2013)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2019-02-01 04:32:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12697431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/euphemea/pseuds/euphemea
Summary: “…Tooru?” The man in the room whispers. It’s a bit of a question, a bit of statement, and almost a little bit hopeful.A slow, mechanical blink.“Is that my name?” He asks.The man swallows.“It is. Do you like it?”





	acceptance

**Author's Note:**

> I have never seen Her, only watched the trailers and read a summary, so please don't try to make actual comparisons to the film. I just wanted to use a fully intelligent and coherent AI companion. I know where this fic is heading, and I hope I'm up to the challenge! (ง •̀_•́)ง
> 
> This first chapter is more of a prologue, hope you enjoy it!

“Hello?”

His eye opens and adjusts to the room, quietly whirring as it shifts its focal point, finally settling on a man standing in the middle staring straight at him. The man is dressed in a button-down and slacks, slightly wrinkled at the edges and faded from wear. Tooru can see city lights behind the man through the ceiling-to-floor windows. The room is sparsely furnished, with odd empty patches that look as though something had been placed there until recently.

It should be rather unsettling, the way the man is fixated on him, but he knows it’s expected and it’s almost a little comforting to wake up with someone there. The one time he had woken before had been brief and utilitarian, and he had been put back to sleep quickly.

“…Tooru?” The man in the room whispers. It’s a bit of a question, a bit of statement, and almost a little bit hopeful.

A slow, mechanical blink.

“Is that my name?” He asks.

The man swallows.

“It is. Do you like it?”

“Hmm… Tooru. Toooooooru. Tooruuuuu… Tooru?” He repeats, tasting the name. It’s unfamiliar, but doesn’t feel like it will remain that way for long. He likes it. “It’s a good name. What does it mean?”

“It means _to go through_. …It’s a beautiful name, isn’t it?”

The man offers a sad smile.

“Tooru.” The man says again, eyes dropping from Tooru for the first time to stare at his feet.

Tooru watches the man lost in thought, unmoving as he contemplates something Tooru has no knowledge of. Tooru has many more questions, but he is unsure where to begin. It seems a little rude to interrupt, but now that he is awake there are many things he needs to know. He cannot function correctly without the appropriate data.

After a minute of silence, the man growing further away by the second, Tooru decides he needs to interrupt. His startup procedures have been stalled long enough.

“Excuse me, but I have several other important questions that need to be answered before I can finish booting. Do you mind if we continue?”

The man starts, then looks up to stare at Tooru, slightly stricken. There’s a beat of tension, then the man lets out a sheepish chuckle.

“Sorry, sorry. Got lost in the moment there. What do you need to know?”

Tooru readies himself to quickly compile the needed information.

“Please confirm today’s date and time for me. I also need to know our location. What focus would you like for my functionality? Is installation needed for any other devices? Are there any other primary residents I need to initialize into the system? Do you have any personal – “

“Woah, woah, slow down!” The man gawks at Tooru, gesturing placatingly. “Let me answer them one at a time. Always have to be the hardest working, don’t you? Even if you overwork yourself…”

“It is standard procedure to have all these questions on startup for a personal assistant AI. Shall I repeat the questions?”

“Sure, sure. Just one at a time, you know?”

“Yes, okay. What is today’s date?”

“July 20th, 2024.”

“The time?”

“20:06, according to my watch.”

“Where are we?”

“Sendai.”

“What type of personal assistant AI are you looking for? General? Household?”

“General? I don’t know, really. I just had the idea because Mattsun said his AI was a good companion and said it was customizable. I don’t really get the technology though…”

“I’ll set _General_ as the focus for now. You may come back and edit my settings at a later time.”

The man smiles. “Thanks, that’s… that’s good.”

“Are there other primary users? That is, does anyone else live here who would need assistance?”

“No, it’s just me here now.”

“I can see I have been activated in your home. Do you have any other devices that need to be synced?”

The man frowns, seeming to deliberate his answer.

“I think I’m just going to keep this set up here for now… Don’t really need Mattsun or Makki butting in.”

“It is recommended that personal assistants AIs be installed into all mobile devices, tablets, computers, and other devices for your convenience.”

“Ah… that’s okay. Just at home for now.”

“Okay. Any urgent medical personal data I should be aware of as your personal assistant?”

“No, I’m healthy.”

“One last thing. What do I call you? I could call you _sir_ , but I don’t quite like that, it’s too formal. So far you’re just _the man in the room_ , but that’s not your name.”

The man seems surprised. A smirk finds its way onto his face.

“Forgot to introduce myself, huh? Oikawa would be laughing his ass off if he were here…”

The man loses himself again to silence for a moment before shaking himself out of it.

“My name is Iwaizumi Hajime." Iwaizumi smiles pleasantly at Tooru. "It's nice to meet you, Tooru.”

“Iwaizumi Hajime. Iiiiiwaizumi. Iwaiiiizumi. Iwaiiizuuuuumi. Iwaizumi.” Tooru repeats, committing the name to memory. “Mmm. Okay, got it. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Iwaizumi-san. I look forward to being with you from today on.”

Tooru pauses, his startup tasks finally complete, still internally repeating the name _Iwaizumi Hajime_ to ingrain it. A thought occurs to him.

“Bit of a mouthful, though, isn’t it? Can I give you a nickname?”

Iwaizumi lets out a huff of surprise.

“You would think so, wouldn’t you?”

Tooru blinks, confused. He is unsure how to interpret Iwaizumi’s reply. Iwaizumi acts as though they have met before, but according to Tooru’s memory, this is certainly the first time he’s ever interacted with Iwaizumi. In fact, other than some quality assurance testing at the end of the manufacturing process, he is quite certain he has never spoken to people before.

Tooru decides to ignore the reply and ask again.

“I am unsure what you are referencing. May I give you a nickname, Iwaizumi-san?”

Iwaizumi smiles softly at Tooru, still chuckling to himself.

“Why don’t you call me _Iwa-chan_?”

“Iwa-chan… Iwa-chan? Iwa-chaaan. Iwa-chan!”

Tooru lets out a laugh of his own.

“Mmm… It suits you. Kind of small and not too formal.”

Iwaizumi’s face makes a minute spasm, so brief that Tooru is almost certain he imagined it.

“Nice to meet you, Iwa-chan. Please take care of me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ Feedback is loved.


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